ST. LOUIS - How do you celebrate a career-high 24 goals when you’re in 29th place?

And how do you mourn 29th place when you’ve scored a career-high 24 goals?

David Perron doesn’t spend much time wrestling with the emotional dilemma, to be honest.

He fully expected a big year from himself and now that it’s here he’s not about to act surprised, nor is he about to act like playing for the Edmonton Oilers is the NHL’s ultimate buzz-kill.

“As a player you want to improve every year. Whether it was with the Blues or Edmonton, that was my goal, to improve, and I’m glad I did that,” said the 25-year-old winger, on the eve of his first game back in St. Louis since the best trade in Craig MacTavish’s brief history as a general manager (give or take Ben Scrivens).

“And I’m going to look to do the same next year.”

The Oilers have been focusing on next year since 2006, and it never comes. It's been tough. And Perron isnít going to lie, hitting a career high with 20 games left in the season isnít as fun when you were out of the playoff race 20 games into the season.